The elegance of schematic plans typically frays a bit on the way from trace paper to bricks-and-mortar reality, but architect Brad Lynch’s house in Chicago’s North Side seems to have made the trip unscathed. The big ideas here include a kitchen/dining/living space that spans the depth of the building between end walls of floor-to-ceiling glass. “My homage to the front porch,” explains Lynch, who also included retractable shades.

Second-floor bedrooms are as private as the main level is public, while a lower-level family room opens toward the rear, onto a subgrade courtyard. A monolithic millwork volume rises through all three floors, containing storage, kitchen, and service functions and separating living spaces from the linear stair that acts as the house’s primary circulation spine.

The clarity of Lynch’s scheme and the fidelity of its execution struck a chord with our panel of judges, who called the outcome “incredibly disciplined.”